Starless Night
by Rorrim J. Tori
Summary: "Rukia… I didn't want to frighten you. And I'd really hoped that I could've kept it a secret for longer." Ichigo turned slowly to face her, brown eyes glinting slightly, two fangs protruding slightly from under his upper lip. "I am a monster…" All he wanted was to live a normal life with his brother, was that too much to ask for? Vampire AU
1. Chapter 1

Rukia stared at the open door of the empty small house, finding the silence unnerving. Ichigo had said that he would be there soon, and that she should not wait for him but should just go inside. So there she stood, book clutched to her small chest, trying to keep her heartbeat steady.

She herself wasn't even sure what was the cause of her unease. 'It's not like you've never been to his apartment before...' Rukia mentally scolded herself for her being afraid of nothing. Yet she felt a sense of dark foreboding as she crossed threshold and flicked on the light.

• x x X * X x x •

Ichigo glanced at the clock while packing the rest of his things. He'd stayed for a while after class to talk to his teacher about an upcoming project but ended up losing track of time. _'Rukia's going to be waiting for me… I promised her that I would meet her at 4:30. Darn, she won't be happy.'_ He thought to himself. Sure he had told her that he might be late, but he cringed slightly at the thought of her kicking him again for another stupid reason. An upset midget with the ability to kick hard was not something to be taken lightly. Even so, he couldn't help but smile slightly, imagining Rukia's stubborn pout as she informs him on how rude it is to keep a lady waiting or something like that. With that thought, he picked up the rest of his things and headed out.

Pulling out his cell phone he turned it on to find six missed calls. But before he was able to check who had called, the cell phone went off. "Hello?" He answered.

Expecting it to be Rukia calling, he was surprised to hear his brother. "Finally you pick up! Took you long enough…"

"What do you want?" Ichigo asked immediately.

There was a huff from the other end, "Why do you always assume that I'm calling because I want something? Hm? Aren't I allowed to call my brother just to say 'hi'?"

"Idiot, you always want something whenever you call." Ichigo sighed

"Heh, you know me too well. Anyway, can you stop by the store, or someplace that sells food? I'm hungry and we don't have anything to eat."

"Why don't you just raid the fridge? I'm certain Yuzu wouldn't mind if you ate some leftovers."

"Huh?"

Ichigo stopped walking "Aren't you at Dad's house?"

"Uh, no."

"Why not? I thought you were going to spend the day there."

"Didn't feel like it. Hey, did you finish off the rest of the chicken?"

Ichigo frowned with unease as he noticed the odd edge to his brother's voice. "When was the last time you ate anything?"

There was a long pause that only added to Ichigo's worry. The reply was quiet and rushed."Two days ago."

"Two days?! You haven't eaten for two days!?" Ichigo sighed, massaging his temple to try to ward off the oncoming headache. "Ok I'll get you something, but you need to stop starving yourself. Where are you?"

"Ok, great! Now, could you not buy from that little corner store that you went to last time? The clerk was being a real pain..."

Worry continued to swell inside of Ichigo as his brother ignored the question and continued talking. "If you're not at Dad's then where are you?"

His brother continued to ignore him "Oh! Actually, stop by Urahara's. That creep still owes me for-"

"Shiro! Stop ignoring me and answer the question! Where. Are. You." Ichigo was practically yelling at this point, anger and worry crashing over him in waves as various situations played themselves out in his mind, each one worse than the previous one.

"Chill out bro, I'm at home. That's why I asked you to get me something." There was a pause and then, slightly confused, his brother asked "Hey, Ichigo... You home already? That was fast."

Also confused now, Ichigo answered "No, why?"

"Someone just turned on a light down the hall."

Ichigo frowned, not liking the dark, heavy, tone of voice his brother suddenly started using. 'Who would be...?' His eyes snapped wide as he mentally cursed himself out. _'Rukia! I told her to wait for me at the apartment! I thought Shiro was out today... Oh this is bad... This is bad!'_ Snapping himself out of his panicked daze he yelled into the phone again, "Wait! Shiro! Don't-!" But the phone had already been hung up.

Breaking into a sprint, Ichigo cursed under his breath while dialing Rukia's cell phone number. Cursing even more when it went straight to the voicemail. 'Rukia... please be okay. Please, let me not be too late!'

• x x X * X x x •**  
**

Closing the door behind her, Rukia looked around at her immediate surroundings. It was a comfy, small, place (though rather large as far as apartments went). The dark wood floor and doorframe contrasted greatly with the white walls, but Rukia quite liked the effect it had. The door entered directly into a small living room. A couch and a coffee table sat in front of a large television mounted on the wall. A hallway on the far right side of the room stretched out to several other places in the house. In the corner across from the door was a rather antique looking desk, facing the wall. It seemed out of place in the otherwise modern room.

Curiosity drew her over to the desk for some reason. She'd been invited over several times by Ichigo for various school-related reasons. So she wasn't quite sure why this desk, which certainly had been there before, suddenly seemed so fascinating. A piece of paper the desk specifically caught her attention. It seemed to be a rather formally written letter, judging by the elegant script used. However she realized that it was written in a language she had never seen before. At the bottom someone had scribbled something in blue pen. This writing was extremely sloppy and hardly legible, but she was sure that it was in the same language as the letter itself.

"Don't you know it's rude to enter peoples' houses without knocking and then go reading their mail?"

Startled, Rukia dropped the book she had been holding and snapped her head around to see who was there. The sudden movement causing her foot to catch on the desk chair, sending her falling to the ground. Everything went black for a second as her head collided with the floor. Looking up, she saw the blurry silhouette of Ichigo.

Head throbbing from the impact with the floor, she opened her mouth to yell. "Ichigo you idiot! First you make me wait here all by myself! Then you decide to scare me by sneaking up on me! And after all that you have the nerve to let me fall without even trying to help me up afterwards!? I probably got a concussion from that!" she stopped her rant, her vision clearing enough to realize that the person leaning over her was not Ichigo. Whoever they were, they looked like Ichigo, only paler and with longer, white, hair pulled loosely into a low ponytail. A pair of dark sunglasses shielded his eyes from view, prompting Rukia's first thought of this new, not-Ichigo person to be: _'Who wears shades inside?'_

The person laughed, sending shivers down Rukia's spine and bringing back the sense of dread that had filled her before. "Who are you?" She said as flatly, trying not to show the fear that she felt.

"That's not very nice to say either. I should be asking you the same question, seeing as how you just walked into my house and all," the person said, smirking in a playful way that made Rukia all the more unnerved.

Against her better judgement, she answered "I am Rukia Kuchiki, and I did not just walk into your house! I'm just waiting here until Ichigo—"

"Ah… you know my brother." He clicked his tongue then sighed, thinking _'Well that complicates things slightly...'_ Looking down at the girl again, he noticed her watching him cautiously.

"…Brother?" She asked skeptically. 'That would certainly explain why he looks like Ichigo. But I didn't know he had a twin.'

Smiling again he nodded. "Yeah, Ichigo and I are brothers. It would have been nice for him to have informed me that he invited company over." He took a deep breath, trying to ignore the growing pain in his empty stomach. _'Hurry up Ichigo...'_

Rukia instantly felt guilty for being so rude. "O-oh. I'm sorry. Ichigo never mentioned..."

"Not surprising. I tend to jump around from place to place a lot, plus I'm just not very social." He took a breath before offering a friendly smile. "So I guess I should introduce myself: Yoshiro Kurosaki. Though 'Shiro' is what most people call me. Either that or 'Shirosaki' if Ichigo's around and you want to be formal without being confusing. And yes, I am an albino." He lifted up his shades, displaying reddish irises. Rukia said nothing, which he seemed glad about,

Seeing that Ichigo had an identical twin brother seemed strange to Rukia and she felt quite unsure about it all. Her head still hurt a lot and she was starting to believe that she actually did get a concussion. Ignoring the pain and the uncertainty she still felt, she reached up, certain that she could not stand on her own at that moment.

Shiro's mind was racing, telling himself that making contact with this girl could be dangerous with the state he was in._ 'But I want to make a good impression… I don't really understand why though. Besides, I'm just helping her stand up. what's the worst that can happen?'_ Throwing caution into the wind he grabbed her hand. The feeling of her pulse under his fingertips was maddening to him. His eyes fixed on her thin wrist as the sound of her heartbeat seemed to resonate through him. _'…Her heart is beating too fast… she's scared… terrified… I should stop… need to stop… stop… make it stop…'_ He tried desperately to breath slowly but it was a futile attempt. He winced slightly as a sharp pain ran through his stomach and his vision started to blur.

Rukia was currently completely confused and starting to feel scared again. As soon as Shiro had helped her up, he had locked up and seemed oblivious to her as she called his name to get his attention. His grip on her arm tightened and she realized that his breath had become shallow and raspy. She struggled to pull herself free from Shiro's grip but only managed to stumble back into the desk, the back of her hand catching the corner and scratching it. She frowned as a drop of blood ran slowly down her hand.

Shiro knew he was fighting a losing battle. He knew he was scaring Rukia to the point where she was shaking by not letting go of her wrist. _'But that smell… No! This is one of Ichigo's friends… Then again, a little couldn't hurt…'_

"Shiro!"

He blinked, finally hearing Rukia call his name. _'Just a bit more... I can hold on until Ichigo arrives. Then it will all be fine. Where is he!?'_ He laughed weakly, other hand subconsciously gripping across his abdomen. "Sorry Rukia I-" Before he finished his thought, the scent of blood reached him. His self-control snapped and, in a second, he had Rukia pinned against the wall.

Rukia winced again as she was roughly shoved back. Fear crashed over her, turning her insides to ice as she wondered what this maniac would do to her. Struggling furiously, she smacked him across the face sending the sunglasses flying. Her blood ran cold as his eyes, now a piercing, predatory, yellow-on-black, turned back on her. With his free hand he pinned her injured hand to the wall. She was completely vulnerable and that terrified her.

"Rukia…" his voice rasped with an inhuman echo. A deranged smile crept onto his face as he leaned in to whisper into her ear, "…you're bleeding." He slid his hand down her arm until he was holding her both her wrists. Then slowly brought her injured arm to his, planting a light kiss on the back of her scratched hand.

Lifting up his head, Rukia noticed a small drop of blood on his lower lip._ Her blood._ His tongue flicked out to taste the droplet, revealing unusually pointed teeth. Rukia shut her eyes, trying to make sense of it all. _'Why did I trust him when he said he was Ichigo's brother!? There was no way to prove what he was saying. There's no way this... thing could be related to Ichigo! This guy could be a serial killer, or something. But he did seem friendly… Then why why did he suddenly pin me against the wall like this? What happened!? What is he going to do!? Somebody help me!'_ Finally getting over some of the shock she screamed.

"Help me!"

A shadow of remorse flickered across Shiro's face before the sadistic smile returned. He leaned down slightly and licked the wound on the small girl's hand. An oddly bitter taste filled his mouth and his eyes snapped open in disgust. _'Ack- Why does it taste so terribl—Urf!'_ He grunted as something heavy collided with his side, knocking him away from Rukia and onto the ground.

Rukia blinked as the weight disappeared of her arms. Standing in front of her was Ichigo, looking nearly as frantic as she felt.

"Rukia, I'm so sorry. I got here as quickly as I could. Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" His eyes shone with concern as he spoke.

"Ichigo! Behind you!" Rukia called as Shiro raised himself up. His eyes still glinted wildly and Rukia trembled slightly.

Ichigo sighed. 'What have you done to yourself this time, Shiro?' He lunged at his brother, tackling him to the floor where the two of them wrestled for a bit. Ichigo cursed as his brother bit down on his arm in protest, breaking the skin. He felt two distinct pricks of pain before his arm went numb. Pulling his arm free, Ichigo grabbed his brother under his chin as his other hand moved to the back of Shiro's head. With a swift motion, Ichido snapped his hands around. There was a single, loud, cracking sound before his brother fell limp beneath him.

He stood slowly, facing away from Rukia as he tried to slow his heavy breathing. "Rukia. You're hurt. You should go home."

Wide-eyed, she stared fearfully at the back of her friend's head, unable to move. "Y… you killed him… You just… killed him…" her voice was trembling and barely above a whisper. _'D-did he really just... kill his brother...? Ichigo...'_

Without turning Ichigo answered. "Don't worry, he will be fine. You should go home."

Rukia knew something was wrong. She could feel that her friend was different but she couldn't tell how. "W-what are you?"

He looked at his arm where it had been bitten. Already it was starting to heal over. "What am I? You don't want to know what I am. I'm sorry I never told you before… Rukia… I didn't want to frighten you. And I'd really hoped that I could've kept it a secret for longer." He turned slowly to face her, brown eyes glinting slightly, two fangs protruding slightly from under his upper lip. "I am a monster…"

It was all too much for Rukia, the pain in her head grew to overshadow any other thoughts. Darkness edged into her vision. She never even felt herself hit the floor.

* * *

And there it is, the start of my next story. Sorry to leave it on a cliffhanger like that, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway. This is my first time writing a longer, multi-chapter fanfic, so I hope it doesn't fail epically. I'm quite a busy person, and can't promise a day or anything like that. Nevertheless, I will try to upload chapters within reasonable time (especially if I left it as a cliffhanger). I already have up to chapter 4 written, so the next chapter will be uploaded the chapter 2 soon.

Special thanks to amulet1412 for beta reading and editing.

Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo

I hope you enjoyed reading this. Comments, critiques, and questions are always appreciated.


	2. Chapter 2

Ichigo placed the unconscious Rukia on the couch, making sure she was comfortable before turning to his brother. With some effort Ichigo managed to drag the albino down to the basement, leaving him on a small mattress in the corner. All the while, Shiro's broken neck emitted soft popping snaps as the vertebrate mended themselves. Checking to make sure the mini fridge was well-stocked, he returned back upstairs to find Rukia was gone from her place on the couch.

_'…must've gone home. I hope she's well enough to make it.'_ Worry washed over him as he realized how close his friend had come to possibly being killed. _'If I had arrived a second later...'_

With a sigh he looked down at the injury on his left arm he had received from Shiro. The skin underneath the bite marks was purple and filled with fluid, making the skin swell in a grotesque manner. Sighing again, he headed to the small room at the end of the hall. The room was mostly empty and dimly lit. Next to a dresser, a sword hung on the wall. The small chain on the hilt jingled slightly as he removed the blade from the mounted sheath. He headed to the bathroom and sighed while turning on the faucet and placing his injured arm under the flow of warm water. He hated this, but it had to be done.

Bringing the blade up to the injury, he slid it sideways carefully, wincing as the cold metal reopened the bite wound. Blood mixed with a dark purple liquid streamed down his arm before being carried down the drain. With a frown, Ichigo noticed the skin had once again healed itself, trapping more purple liquid inside and still causing it to bulge. Without a second thought he once again cut into his arm, washing away everything. He repeated the process until no violet substance remained.

From the numerous cuts made to his arm, all but one had healed and vanished as if nothing ever happened. The last cut he had made had been deeper than the rest, and was still bleeding somewhat. Grabbing some gauze from the medicine cabinet, he wrapped his arm while walking back to the living room.

Ichigo picked up the TV remote and flipped through the channels, eventually settling on watching the news.

• x x X * X x x •

Shiro's eyes snapped open to the dull, gray ceiling of the basement. Confusion instantly filled his foggy mind. _'What am I doing here? Wasn't I-'_ his thought was cut off as he remembered what happened. He tried to sit up but the pain in his neck stopped him. So he waited a couple minutes until he could move. Taking a few 'juice' pouches from the mini fridge, he headed upstairs and joined his brother on the couch.

Neither of them spoke for a while.

It was Shiro who broke the silence. "…How badly did I lose it?"

Ichigo ran a hand through his hair. "It wasn't pretty. But Rukia's okay."

His brother visibly relaxed. He rubbed his still sore neck and gave a light laugh. "You've gotten a lot better at doing that effectively."

Ichigo laughed a little bit too. "Practice makes perfect."

It was then that Shiro noticed the bandage on Ichigo's arm. Shiro tensed, knowing all too well what that meant. "Ichigo..."

"It's fine Shiro. I just—" his sentence was cut short as his brother tackled him, pinning Ichigo to the couch by his shoulders.

"You idiot! You promised!"

Ichigo was caught off guard by the worry and sorrow in the albino's eyes. "Shiro..."

"You promised me last time! You said it yourself, that if I ever bit you again, you would wait until someone was there with you before doing that!"

Pushing his brother off of him and sitting back up again, Ichigo smiled. Though his brother was a handful (and downright dangerous at times) he was glad Shiro cared about him and felt a small pang of guilt for breaking his promise. "Okay, I 100% promise that I will never do that again." But even as he said it, the words 'practice makes perfect' echoed through his mind. He sighed, looking at his brother. Shiro was staring much too intently at the TV; his eyes held buried pain and fear.

"What happened anyway, Shiro? Didn't the District Leader feed you?"

Shiro paused for a time. "Yes, but only when I arrived. Afterwards, well..." He abruptly stood and walked over to the desk in the corner, returning with the piece of paper with the foreign writing on it.

Ichigo stared at the letter for a few seconds, forcing his stubborn mind to translate the foreign language that it was written in. "Ichigo Kurosaki..." he read slowly and quietly, "It... has come to our attention... Gah! Shiro! You know I can't read this! Why do they even have to use that stupid 'ancient language' anyway? Just tell me what it says."

Without pausing, Shiro answered. "The Leader wants to speak with you. Something big is about to happen, and everyone want more people on their side. Stupid Yoruichi tried to enlist me into her court since I keep refusing to join a clan. I kinda stormed out and spent the last two days wandering around just trying to think."

A brief silence ensued, punctuated by Ichigo's cell phone buzzing. "Uh oh..." he said upon reading the text. "All that will have to wait. I have an urgent Council meeting to report to. And I'm pretty sure I know what it is about..."

Shiro's eyes widened. "When?"

"Right now." He stood silently, exiting the living room.

Shiro watched silently as Ichigo returned. This time carrying a black sword. Shiro wanted to say something, but realized there was nothing to say. So, he sat in silence for several seconds after his brother left before heading to his own room. He opened his closet and reached for a small box in the corner. The box itself was no bigger than his palm. He removed the lid carefully, revealing a small shard of white metal. Picking it up carefully, he winced as the still-sharpened edges bit into his fingers. He sighed as he looked at it, marveling at how the light danced beautifully off of it. After a few minutes he put it away in the corner of his closet. 'Please Ichigo... be safe.'

• x x X * X x x •

Ichigo stood in the center of one of the meeting rooms of the Council. It was an immense, cylindrical room with small alcoves set in the wall where the council members sat. The room was lit such that a person standing in the middle would not be able to make out the faces of the council members. To further the secrecy, the members in the alcove only referred to each other by the names of their swords. Ichigo found all of this utterly ridiculous as he was friends with a lot of the members and could recognize them by their voices. But rules were rules and though Ichigo himself was an honorary council member, he was not quite treated as such.

As people entered the small alcoves through doors in the backs, the room was slowly filled with the din of murmuring and shuffling about. Ichigo closed his eyes, trying to pinpoint the sounds of specific people. Instead, a different sound arose. One that sent a shiver down his spine. In the round room surrounded by people, the combined sound of their beating hearts created an amplified rhythm. Usually Ichigo refrained from focusing on this, choosing instead to push the sound to the back of his mind where it wouldn't bother him. But this room offered too good of a scenario: the people were too well spaced, acoustics too perfect, for him to ignore it. There was no way for him not to relax and let his acute hearing pick up the sound.

The sharp sound of a cane tapping ahead of him snapped Ichigo's attention forward, causing the sound of beating hearts to fade away. In the only lit alcove, Head Councilman Yamamoto sat, watching Ichigo intensely and speaking in an authoritative tone. "Are all designated council members present?" The question was met with various comments from unseen people sitting in dark alcoves.

Ichigo was certain that he heard Renji and possibly Toshiro.

Yamamoto continued, "Very well. I shall commence this meeting. Wielder of Zangetsu, Son of Isshin Kurosaki, Honorary council member, and Half-blood Vampire, Ichigo Kurosaki..."

_'So much for secrecy...'_ Ichigo thought, but he held his tongue.

"Place your sword on the ground in front of you."

He silently obeyed, laying down the blade then taking three steps back from it.

"Thank you. Now, straight to the point. You remember the oath you took in order to became a member of this Council, correct?"

"Yes. I pledged to commit my life to the protection of mortal humans and fellow Council members against the threat of any and all supernatural powers."

"By taking such an oath, you entered a binding contract to accept our laws and customs, and respect our authority and judgment." He paused."You also agreed to take on full responsibility for the actions of your brother, Yoshiro Kurosaki, did you not?"

"I did, sir. And I have abided by the-" Ichigo spoke quietly and quickly

"Silence!" Yamamoto raised his voice slightly, Ichigo grudgingly obeyed. "A report has been filed that your brother, with malicious intent, attacked and harmed a defenseless civilian. His actions have deviated from the acceptable law. What do you have to say about this, Ichigo Kurosaki?"

Ichigo had guessed that Shiro's behavior was the reason for this meeting, but he still felt his his jaw set with anger at the Head Councilman. Another question arose in his mind. "Who reported this?"

Yamamoto was silent, then started to speak. "That information is not of relevance to the current—"

"I did," a voice interrupted from an alcove to Ichigo's left. The voice was smooth and aloof sounding, a mixture that instantly didn't sit right with Ichigo.

In the silence that followed, Ichigo noticed the person's heartbeat: slow, quiet, collected. Ichigo knew that, whoever was there, they were a powerful elite hunter. Ichigo wasn't sure why, but this person set him on edge. He noticed just in time that he had released his fangs in defense and quickly retracted them before asking, "Who are you?"

"Senbonzakura."

Ichigo turned his attention back to Yamamoto. "The girl is Rukia Kuchiki, sixteen years old, a classmate of mine. I invited her over to my house to work on a school project. Had I known my brother was home and starving, I would have met with Rukia elsewhere. She slipped and received a slight concussion and while helping her up, my brother went into a minor blood frenzy. She merely scratched her hand on a corner of a desk."

The Captain was silent for some time, eyes closed in thought. "You arrived late, it seems."

Anger welled up inside the teen. "I arrived in time to save her and subdue Shiro before he did any lasting damage."

"But damage was still done. Your brother poses a powerful threat to those around him. If you cannot handle taking care—"

"Shiro is not a threat!" Ichigo snapped, his voice echoing in the cylindrical room. He was pushing his temper, his anger exciting his thirst as the sound of everyones' hearts once again reached his ears.

"What happened to your arm?" Senbonzakura's voice asked from one of the shadowed alcoves.

"Nothing of relevance or concern." Ichigo stated, wanting to get out before he did something that he would later regret.

Yamamoto broke the tense silence. "Very well. I shall let your behavior and the actions of your brother, Yoshiro Kurosaki, off with a warning. Just remember your pledged duty to the council. You must keep your brother in check. If he breaks the rules set by the council, we have no choice but to eliminate him. Do you understand?"

Ichigo responded with a quiet "Yes sir".

"These rules also apply to you. You may be recognized as a Council member, but you are still a half-blood and therefore a potential threat. Do not forget that. You are dismissed."

Without another word, Ichigo grabbed his sword and left immediately.

* * *

Second chapter up, huzzah! Not much I have to say about this chapter. Sorry it wasn't very action-packed. Next chapter will have more happening.

Special thanks to amulet1412 for beta-reading and editing.

Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo

Thank you for reading! Comments, critiques, and questions are always appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

Ichigo slammed the door closed behind him as he returned home. His head spun with dizziness and anger. Groaning, he made his way to the kitchen, grabbing a "juice" pouch from the fridge. He had just taken two sips of the synthetic blood substitute when his brother entered the kitchen.

"Woah! What happened!? You look terrible." Shiro exclaimed.

Ichigo glanced at his brother, trying to calm his own frazzled mind. "They dropped any charges against you, but still view you as a threat." He laughed softly. "They view me as a threat too..."

Shiro blinked in concern for his brother. Being more of a vampire than his brother, Shiro was more prone to losing himself to his own bloodlust. Episodes occurred fairly often but were usually short and not too serious. On the other hand, his orange-haired brother had much more control over himself; Shiro could count the number of times his brother had been in a blood frenzy on one hand. But that had the effect that when Ichigo did slip, he didn't know how to deal with it; he would lose control entirely and go berserk. Which was why Shiro was worried for his brother at that moment.

Mentally, the albino assessed the situation. _'His sclera are still mostly white... irises completely yellow... his top fangs are released... he hasn't actually lost it yet...'_ Snapping his fingers he ran to his room, returning with a small, silver flask and pouring a glass of thick, crimson liquid which he placed in Ichigo's hand. "Here. Drink."

Ichigo's took the glass, eyes widening as he realized what his sibling had given him. "S-shiro… is this…"

"Of course." Shiro's red eyes watched Ichigo like a hawk. "Drink." He commanded.

With a shaky hand, Ichigo brought the glass to his lips and tipped his head back. The sweet liquid hit his throat and, almost against his will, Ichigo relaxed.

"Better?" Shiro asked, watching his brother's eyes turn black and gold before being hidden behind heavy lids.

"Yes…" Ichigo hissed, closing his eyes and smiling. A small part of his mind started to panic as he felt his self-control slipping, but the worry was gone quickly. It had been almost seven years since Ichigo had drank actual blood. The flavor and response from his body were both better than he remembered. Feeling a light hand on his shoulder, Ichigo turned to his brother and spoke in a hissed whisper: "More."

Shiro's eyes narrowed as he frowned, "Sorry Ichigo, maybe later." Helping the teen up, Shiro guided Ichigo to his room. _'Please don't be too mad at me later.'_ Taking a swig from the flask himself, he went to his own room and fell asleep.

It was early evening when both brothers awoke. Feeling much better, Ichigo cooked dinner and they ate their meals while watching (and adding their own commentary to) some random drama movie they found on TV.

After the movie was over, Ichigo got up from the couch to do the dishes while trying to collect his thoughts. Over and over again in his mind, he told himself that Rukia was alright, but worry still hung in his mind. The Council meeting earlier still bothered him. He could almost hear the mysterious Senbonzakura's cold voice asking what was wrong with his arm.

He had taken off the bandage earlier and was now staring down at his bare skin. There wasn't a single mark on it. Nothing to show that he had sliced into his arm to drain the poison. Nothing to show that his brother had bitten his arm in the first place. He sighed, remembering his childhood days where his mother would carefully tend to his small cuts and scrapes even though they healed in less than a minute without help. _'That was so long ago… Back when Shiro and I… before we… we…'_

Appearing behind Ichigo, Shiro interrupted his brother's thoughts. "So, that girl… Rukia, was it? She a classmate of yours?"

"Yeah. Rukia Kuchiki." Ichigo's voice was quiet

"She seems nice." There was a brief pause. The albino thought back to the small girl and the bitter taste that was left in his mouth. "Ichigo... I think—"

He was interrupted by Ichigo's ringtone. "Hold on Shiro... we've got a job to do."

The orange-haired teen flipped open the phone and scowled at the text message scrolling across the small screen. He looked up at his brother, who instantly understood. Without another word, Ichigo grabbed the black sword from the kitchen table and Shiro slipped a dagger into his pocket. The duo set out into the night.

It was just past midnight but, being pretty much nocturnal, neither of the brothers were tired in any way. On the contrary, the sliver of moon that hung in the sky awoke a small fire in each of their eyes. Shiro undid the knot holding his ponytail back and felt the wind pull his hair with its invisible hands. He grinned, flashing fangs. Within a few minutes of walking, they arrived at the downtown park.

It was completely silent, save for the rustle of grass in the wind. Ichigo looked at the eager expression on his brother's face: golden eyes glinting madly.

"You enjoy this too much." Ichigo sighed, looking around for their target.

His brother laughed, "Hey, it's not every day that I get to let this energy out without, you know... killing something that I shouldn't. Hunting rogue vampires with you is about the only thing that the Council allows me to do."

"Point taken."

The scent of blood was heavy in the air.

"Ichigo." His brother was pointing to a figure hunched over by a maple tree a little ways off to the left.

He nodded and headed over to the person. Instantly, Ichigo knew that this wasn't any ordinary Rogue. "You may need to hold off on this one, Shiro. Something seems off, and I don't want you getting into any more trouble.." He took a step forward. "Don't interfere unless you have to."

The albino pouted slightly, but didn't protest.

The person sitting underneath the tree was a young man. His clothes were stained with blood, both old and fresh. He was rocking on his heels, eyes closed tightly, hands buried in his light brown hair. He was frantically whispering, almost as if to calm himself.

"_...It's ok you'll be fine it's all just a nightmare and you'll wake up from this dream and I'll be ok and everyone else will be ok and he will still be alive and..."_

A pang of sadness and unease ran through Ichigo's heart. He had never been okay with murder in cold blood. He always tried to give them a fair fight, where killing could be at least somewhat justified by self-defense in the heat of battle. Since most Rogues were violent in nature, it was an easy, yet dangerous tactic; one reason why he always brought his brother along for backup.

Every Rogue was different though, and some would run or cower in fear. If he couldn't initiate a fight, he at least always let them know why they were targeted. "By order of the Council of Hunters, you have been labeled as a threat to humanity and have been charged with the murder of innocent humans. By law I am to execute you, but I will give you a chance to justify your actions." He shuddered as his words fell on deaf ears. Something was wrong, he could feel it.

The person stopped rocking. "P-please... water... It hurts so much... I need some water and then everything will be fine..."

Ichigo blinked.

"Need...water..."

The teen's eyes widened as realization crashed over him. This was a Fledgling: a human turned by a vampire's venom. His heart sank, it always did when he found people like this; driven mad by the inability to cope with the sudden changes. Anger flared up in his eyes. "Who did this to you?"

"...water..."

"Water won't help. You need blood."

The boy shook his head, "No no no no no no. I just... I'm just thirsty and want to see the sun... I want to see him again... please... I just need... water." HIs head was pounding, skin feeling like it was burning up. He tried to think back to what had happened that made him like this, but there was only a terrifying blank gap in his memory. He reached out and roughly grabbed the front of Ichigo's shirt. His eyes snapped open. They were completely black. "Give... me..."

A spray of red suddenly shot out of the person's arm as Ichigo slashed at it with his sword. The man released his hold but immediately raked down his side with sharpened claws. Ichigo dodged back, but still felt the hot blood flow out of the wound. The vampire in front of him stood up slowly then sprang forward at Ichigo, tackling him to the ground. Fangs bared, the two bit and scratched whatever they could. Ichigo succeeded in breaking the man's wrist but gained a scratch dangerously close to his eye in the process.

Shiro paced and watched from a distance; trusting that his brother could handle it, but still staying close enough in case Ichigo needed help. That's how they had always done it.

The two vampires tumbled about on the ground, blood flowing from various wounds. Shiro's eyes widened as the enraged rogue managed to wrench the sword out of Ichigo's hand. A deranged grin split the face of the fledgling who was now about to thrust the blade downward.

In a flash, Shiro managed to throw the fledgling off of his brother and sank his fangs into the fledgling's pulsing jugular, which only made the boy scream and struggle more.

Ichigo got to his feet slowly, blood blurring his vision. He immediately reached for his sword that had been thrown to the side when Shiro tackled his attacker. His brother was now pinning down the fledgling's shoulders, face buried in the boy's neck. But Ichigo knew he wasn't drinking. Fledglings always tasted bad. He walked silently to them, raised his sword and, in one fluid motion, stabbed through the heart of the poor boy.

The fledgling opened his mouth in a final, silent scream as his void-black eyes began lightening to their original color. Then everything went quiet and still.

"Sorry." Shiro said softly, wiping the blood from his chin "I know you hate doing that."

Ichigo said nothing as he stared at the limp form. The boy was younger than Ichigo had initially expected, maybe only a year or so younger than himself. His short brown hair was matted with dirt and blood. His brown eyes were wide and lifeless. A heavy feeling tugged at his heart and he forced himself to say: "Mercy killing. He wouldn't have survived. But now we have a bigger problem. Who turned him?"

By law, on both the Vampire's and the Hunter's standards, it was punishable by death for a human to be turned without a Clan leader being present. There was a whole ritual that needed to be followed. _'Not everyone can handle being like this...' _ Ichigo thought solemnly.

Shiro, sensing his brothers unease, tried to cheer him up. "I blame Twilight. Teens everywhere are believing that vampires are all magic and glitter, and that becoming one is simple as _that_." He snapped his fingers. "We can only assume that the person who did this has been rightfully punished. Shinji and his clan has probably already taken care of it."

"Yeah. Still... look at him. He's not much older than we are." He leaned down and grabbed a wallet from the man's pocket. "Kon Isobe,15 years old, blood type A positive. He has an older brother." Ichigo stated, pulling out a picture behind the identification card. "...He goes to my school." He looked back down at the body that was already starting to disintegrate into dust.

Shiro slowly took the wallet from his twin's hand, "It's okay Ichigo. You just-

Both of them looked up in surprised confusion as they noticed flower petals lightly floating around them. The pink flowers twirled around in the light breeze of the air as if in a dance.

"Flowers...?" Ichigo said, momentarily forgetting the boy from his school. "It's not the right time of year for cherry blossoms." Curiously, he looked around, feeling one of them fall against his cheek. Something wet and warm trickled down the side of his face, followed by a small stinging sensation like a papercut. Reaching up to his cheek, he realized it was blood. Another petal fell against his hand and he grabbed it, holding it between his thumb and index finger. Blood beaded up around it as the petal cut into his skin. "Shiro... These aren't flowers." His breath caught in his throat as a sick feeling washed over him. "We need to get—" He cut off his sentence as he turned to his brother. Behind the albino, a tidal wave of pink was barreling towards the unknowing albino.

Shiro grit his teeth in pain as the hundreds of tiny blades slammed into his back. Each one wasn't very strong, but the sheer number of them was overwhelming. He felt himself falling forward, his back on fire. The mass of petals soared over his head, twisting unnaturally into a ball in mid-air before diving back down, straight towards the bleeding half-blood gasping for breath on the ground.

Ichigo cursed and, with a burst of inhuman speed, appeared between his brother and the swirling blade fragments. He poured energy into the sword, watching it crackle with blue-tinged black energy. "Getsuga... Tensho!" He called, releasing the wave of energy. It created a sort of shield as the petals crashed against him. Small cuts appeared on his arms as some petals slipped through. He panted through his fangs, Ignoring the pain for Shiro's sake..

Sneaking a look at his brother, Ichigo's heart fell. His back was a mess of blood, looking almost black in the moonlight. Shiro's wild yellow-on-black eyes flickered back and forth. A low growl escaped his throat and more blood poured from the wounds.

"Shiro, don't try to heal yourself! It's a Hunter's blade! It won't work!" Ichigo wanted to talk with Shiro and reassure him that it would be okay, but one look into those feral eyes told him that his brother was beyond reason. He only frowned further when he noticed that the teeth to the front of his fangs, the venom fangs, were also elongated and sharpened. He knew instantly that if the albino wasn't immobile from injuries, he would be in a dangerously murderous rampage.

Ichigo's own eyes, now glowing a stunning gold, turned back forward when the onslaught of flowers suddenly stopped. In front of him stood a man; his straight black hair falling to his shoulders with a few strands falling in front of his face. He wore a completely stoic expression that still managed to convey his intense anger. The second thing Ichigo noticed was the expensive-looking white coat worn by the stranger, accented by an equally-fancy blue silk scarf and matching gloves. The third thing he took notice of was the gash in the man's left sleeve.

Ichigo lowered his sword slightly, wary of the Hunter. He forced himself to not growl out the words, "Hold on. Just, listen... I am Ichigo Kurosaki, wielder of Zanget—"

"I know who you are."

Ichigo's blood went cold, he knew that voice. It was the same aloof voice that had questioned him in the Council meeting. "Senbonzakura." He whispered. The man made no indication of hearing. A knot formed in Ichigo's stomach and he was suddenly painfully aware that the last attack had left his eyes and fangs in their vampiric state.

"I received orders that there was a Rogue that was to be eliminated." Senbonzakura said plainly.

"The Rogue that 'was to be eliminated' has been killed. The situation is under control. Shiro is **not** a target. Attacking him like that is a violation of the law on _both_ sides," he said through gritted teeth. Behind him, his brother wheezed and coughed, fighting to stay conscious. _'Hang in there Shiro. Please hang in there!'_

The older Hunter raised his head slightly, cold eyes analyzing the half-blood in front of him, calculating his chances of being attacked. "I am aware of that." He could almost see the fire in the teen's ominously yellow eyes, but also noticed the obvious hesitation. _'He won't attack. He knows the Council will kill him and his brother if he does anything too rash. He has quite a bit of control— for a half-blood at least.'_

"_**Then why did you attack him!"**_ It was taking all of Ichigo's will to stay in one place. Every cell in his body was screaming to either attack or run away. Neither of which were very good options. He closed his mouth as he felt his secondary fangs push out, responding to the adrenaline running through him. _'Stay calm... stay calm... stay calm... Don't do anything you'll regret later.'_

The cold, gray eyes moved to Ichigo's previously injured arm. "Your brother bit you, did he not?"

"Don't try to change the subject!"

"You should be careful, make sure you got all the venom out."

"Answer. The. QUESTION!" Ichigo roared , feeling like he was about to snap. Whether he would attack or break down in tears, he wasn't sure. But his patience and self-control were both wearing thin.

Senbonzakura just watched the teen in silence for a second. "Consider it a warning message." He turned around slowly and started walking.

Ichigo's anger faltered slightly, replaced by worry and confusion. He took a step back towards his brother who had gone eerily quiet. "A warning? Why? What for?"

He stopped, turned. His eyes flashing with intense emotion as he simply stated: "Stay away from Rukia Kuchiki."

* * *

Oh the Dramatic Irony! Hope you all enjoyed the chapter.

Once again, thank you to everyone who has Favorited/Followed/Commented/Read this story so far. The positive response I've been getting really makes writing enjoyable for me.

Special thanks to amulet1412 for beta-reading and editing.

Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo

Thank you for reading! Comments, critiques, and questions are always welcome and appreciated.


	4. Chapter 4

Shiro's mind was frantic with pain and shock as the blades dug into his back, his knees going involuntarily weak and making him fall face-down on the ground. A cold acceptance lodged itself in his stomach as he realized that he was probably going to die.

There was a light wind and an explosion of energy that barely registered in the albino's pain-filled mind. With blurred vision, he noticed that his brother was in front of him, using his sword to deflect the majority of the attack and personally acting as a shield.

He felt his own rationality ebb away as the blinding nonsense of vampiric insanity took control. He tried to push himself up, to move in some way, but the pain was too intense. _'Get away! Get away! Get away!'_ the words flowed endlessly into his mind. A small bit of rationality in Shiro's mind realized that usually the little voice was telling him to fight, not flee.

The vague sounds of voices gradually faded away as his eyes closed.

'_Sorry... Ichigo... farewell...'_

• x x X * X x x •

Isshin yawned as the pounding on the door dragged him from his slumber. "My, my... What could anyone want at such an awful hour?" He grumbled to himself. The pounding on the door continued. "I'm coming!" He snapped, violently pushing the door open "What do you—" He started to say, but stopped when he saw who was on the other side.

An orange-haired vampire was panting heavily on his doorstep. Isshin's eyes widened as he saw the pale twin draped over his son's shoulder. Blood covered both of them.

"Dad..." Ichigo's gold eyes were wide with panic, his voice uncharacteristically timid. "...He needs help."

Weariness instantly forgotten, Isshin stepped back to allow them entrance. "Get him inside. Quick."

The teen obeyed without hesitation.

He nearly tore apart his desk, searching for a small syringe that he always kept with him for emergencies like these.

Ichigo was trying to keep himself from freaking out as his brother lay motionless on the clean white bed. He was trying to convince himself that his brother was going to be ok, but his words sounded empty even to himself.

His dad came back quickly, holding a small syringe of clear liquid. "This should work, but I need you to hold him so he doesn't hurt himself further."

Ichigo nodded, knowing exactly what he was planning. He leaned down and held the albino's shoulders to the floor, careful to not press too hard on the open wounds. Isshin inserted the needle into Shiro's neck, and pushed down the stopper. There was a moment of tense silence before an inhuman, snarling was heard from the albino.

Isshin looked down at his two sons, watching the wounds slowly start to close and hoping that he would be ok.

• x x X * X x x •

The first thing that Shiro noticed was the unusual weight pressing down on his shoulder, making it slightly difficult to breathe. The second thing he noticed was the familiar smell of Yuzu's cooking mixed with the sour scent of antiseptics. Which lead him to the third realization: _'I'm not dead.'_

He painfully opened his eyes, feeling disoriented but much better than he would have expected. The weight on his back turned out to be Ichigo, collapsed from exhaustion. _'I— I'm alive... I'm alive and I'm... home.'_ He heaved a shaky sigh of relief.

Shiro was strong, maybe not as strong as a pure vampire, but the combination of his heritage, and people making fun of him as a child, made him quite a force to be reckoned with. A hunter was about the biggest threat he could face. _'Well, that, and the possibility of being driven insane by my own blood-lust.' _

What mainly troubled him was that he didn't know who had attacked him or why. _'Ichigo said they dropped all charges against me. Shouldn't this be illegal?'_ A cold feeling stabbed through his stomach. _'If any of the clans hear about this, there would be a slaughter._ He whispered out a curse under his breath.

Ichigo awoke to the sound of Shiro's muttered obscenity and automatically knew that his brother was going to be ok. He then realized that not only had he fallen asleep in his chair at some time during his vigil, but he had somehow managed to fall asleep using his brother as a pillow. Slightly embarrassed, he pushed himself into a sitting position.

Isshin came into the room soon after with a breakfast of eggs and bacon. Finishing their meal, their dad fussed over Shiro's healing wounds while said albino complained that he was perfectly fine.

Ichigo smiled at his brother's antics; the normality was calming. Realizing it was almost ten, he ran to school.

He, of course, was late, but that was a small price to pay for making sure that Shiro was going to live. Although he doubted that his half-blood brother would be happy with spending the entire day cooped up with Isshin.

Ichigo was slightly worried when he noticed Rukia's usual seat empty. The teacher and his friends gave some story about her caring for her brother that had been attacked by a dog. He didn't believe a word of it. Worry swept over him _'What if she's avoiding me?'_

The rest of the school day passed slowly without incident.

"Hey Ichigo!" Keigo's voice exploded in his ear as the energetic teen appeared next to him. Mizuiro and Chad followed close behind. "We're all going to hang out at my house to play some video games. You should join us!"

"No." Ichigo deadpanned. Boom, shot down. He knew Keigo would keep bothering him so he simply stated. "My brother and I have plans already."

Mizuiro stepped up to Keigo, looking up from his phone. "Oh, sorry Asano-san... I forgot I have a date today."

"A date!? Why didn't you tell me? And why so formal all of a sudden?"

"Ah... I would have invited you along, but her friends are quite shy and-"

"Friends!?" His mouth hung open as he cried melodramatically. "You have betrayed me! Wait-" Keigo stopped suddenly, realizing exactly what Ichigo had said. Looking around, said ten had slipped away during his theatrics. "Ichigo's brother? He wasn't talking about that creepy Shiro guy, was he?" An involuntary shudder ran down his spine. He had never personally met his friend's twin, but he had heard enough stories involving the albino to know he was pretty much mentally insane.

Chad nodded. Being one of Ichigo's closest friends, he was one of the few people to know the albino; and knew that Shiro was much kinder than the rumors made him out to be. Most of the time anyway.

• x x X * X x x •

Upon returning home, Ichigo was met with a hug from Yuzu and a small smile from Karin. His dad was out running some errands.

"Hey. How's Shiro?" Ichigo asked.

Karin answered. "He's doing what he always does: sleeping."

"That's not fair. It's not _my_ fault you're only awake during the day." Shiro yawned as he entered the room.

"Shiro-nii, are you sure you should be up?" Yuzu ran to his side, a concerned pout on her face.

He offered a genuine smile, placing a hand on her hair softly. "Don't worry so much. It'll take more than that to keep me down." He was joking of course; he had almost died the previous night,but he wasn't about to tell that to his sister.

After a couple more minutes of idle chat, Ichigo and Shiro decided to go back to the apartment.

Shiro squinted at the bright sky as they stepped outside. Slipping on his aviators, he was once again thankful that he could pass off his sensitivity to light as a symptom of his 'albinism'.

The walk home was quiet and peaceful, which Shiro was happy for. The injuries he had received had left him drained and he felt dead-tired. Nevertheless, his mind was buzzing with questions.

"Ichigo." His voice was soft. "Who attacked me? I could tell it was a hunter, but..."

Ichigo shrugged, looking down at his feet. "I don't really know who he is. He was at the Council meeting yesterday. His sword's name is Senbonzakura, that's all the information I got." He decided to leave out the fact that the Hunter, at both instances, had questioned him about the bite wound on his arm. Feeling slightly nervous, he glanced down at his arm, tensing suddenly and freezing in his tracks.

"Hey... you ok?" his brother asked from a few paces ahead.

"Yeah." he said, shaking his head. He thought he had just seen a streak of dark purple run down his vein. _'Just my imagination. I really need more sleep...'_

Shiro noted his brother's unease, but didn't press the issue further. Instead he asked: "So, is that all you know about him? Why did he attack me though? I didn't do anything."

Ichigo scowled, the man's cold voice running through his mind. He repeated the Hunter's words.

"A warning? Stay away from Rukia Kuchiki!?" He growled in his throat, but tiredness quickly swept away whatever anger he held. _'I didn't actually hurt her. I probably scared her a good deal, but still...'_ His tired mild still buzzed and he paused his thoughts, feeling like there had been something important that he needed to tell his brother. Something that he had realized about Rukia. _'Now what was it?'_ Deciding it was worthless to worry, he instead turned to Ichigo with a smirk. "So, when we get home, you going to call and check up on your girlfriend?"

"Actually I was- Wait. _Girlfriend_!?" Ichigo waved his hands in front of him. "No! I mean, Rukia's not- She's just a friend-!"

He smiled further at the light blush slowly appearing on his brother's cheeks. "Ok, ok, I understand. You don't want rumors spreading like wildfire through the school. Though you don't want to let her hear you say that you're only friends." He laughed.

"I'll kill you." Ichigo growled out

"Suuuure."

Reaching the house, Shiro unlocked the door and they went inside.

While Ichigo went to drop his schoolbag in his room, his brother noticed something lying near the desk in the corner: a book.

"What's this? Oh… Hey Ichigo, your girlfriend left her book here!" Shiro called him, picking up the book from the coffee table.

"Rukia is only a friend!" Ichigo snapped as he entered the living room.

His brother rolled his eyes, and handed over the paperback. "She dropped it in the confusion of... you know... everything that happened. Anyway, I'm going to bed."

"She wasn't in school today. I'll drop by her house and give it to her. Should probably see how she's doing too." Realizing that the albino was already closing the door to his room, he grabbed his house keys and set out.

Along the way, his thoughts were troubled. Rukia wouldn't leave his mind. He had to admit that he was worried for her; she hardly ever missed school; and with the teacher telling some sketchy excuse that she was caring for her brother that had been attacked by a dog, it seemed too weird for his liking. _'She's ok. You made it in time. She wasn't bitten. She hasn't changed.'_ His own words gradually calmed his wild mind and Ichigo actually started enjoying the beautiful weather, even to the point where he felt a small sense of sadness at reaching his destination so quickly.

Ichigo had known that Rukia's family had money, but he had never actually _seen_ the Kuchiki house and realized that she was filthy-stinkin'-rich. A sort of odd, envious embarrassment came over him as he mentally compared his humble apartment with the grandeur of this mansion. Choking down his hurt pride, he walked through the traditional cherry tree garden entryway and up to the main door, its mahogany surface intricately carved to display criss-crossing tree branches. Hesitantly, he redhead and rapped the brass knocker twice.

There was an oddly silent pause for a while, causing Ichigo to start to feel self-conscious. He hastily tried to straighten his shirt and (unsuccessfully) compress his wild mess of hair, before remembering Shiro's side comments about his relationship with Rukia. Feeling slightly foolish, he stopped. A minute had passed and no one had answered. _'Maybe they're not home? I guess I'll just leave the book here on the front porch.'_ Ichigo thought, but as he was about to turn to leave, the knob turned and the door swung open.

Ichigo's blood ran cold and the book slipped from his hand, landing with a soft thud on the wood porch. The air that had previously been warm and welcome suddenly seemed cold against his clammy skin. He wanted to bolt, to get away, to do anything; but instead he was frozen to the spot, staring into the unemotional eyes of Senbonzakura.

Neither of them spoke, they simply stared. Ichigo felt his heart frantically pulsating at dangerous speeds, his vision blurring. An oddly sharp pain raced up his left arm._ 'Why? Why do I feel so threatened by him!?'_

The dark-haired male was about to speak when a voice from behind him called out: "Ichigo!"

Rukia ran up from behind her brother, suddenly feeling confused by the look of pure terror on her friend's face, and the fact that her brother's arm was in front of her, holding her back.

Ichigo blinked in surprise at Rukia. _'She's alright.'_ the thought brought some peace to his mind, but it vanished quickly as the older hunter spoke again.

"Rukia…" he said calmly and quietly, but didn't take his eyes off of the half-blood. "Please return to the living room. I need to talk with your... friend."

Ichigo visibly tensed, then suddenly turned and bolted away from the house. He didn't know, nor did he care, where he was going; just as long as it was away from there.

"Brother, what's going on?"

Byakuya was surprised as his young sibling pushed past him, shouting the teen's name. Reaching for the sword above the doorway, he considered pursuing them; but hesitated, fingers inches from the hilt. His hand fell. In silence, he closed the door.

• x x X * X x x •

"Ichigo!" Rukia called as she entered the park, frowning when she realized she had lost sight of him. Walking over to the small cluster of trees and bushes that sat in the far corner of the area, she noticed something: twigs were broken like someone had recently forced their way through there. There were a few drops of blood on the end of a rosebush thorn. Eyes narrowing in concern, Rukia carefully made her way through the underbrush.

It seemed likely to her that her friend might have come through here

Rukia soon came to a small clearing with a creek; and sure enough, Ichigo was laying on one of the boulders, basically draped over it. His spine was bent backwards in a way that certainly couldn't be comfortable; Rukia cringed slightly at the sight of it.

A lost expression shone from his eyes as his brow furrowed. The blank look on the teen's face was foreign to her, startling.

"Ichigo?" She asked hesitantly, stepping into the clearing.

His head jerked to the side, boring into her with his endless gaze.

Her eyes were drawn to a scratch on his cheek, most likely from the rosebush she saw earlier. As she watched, the small cut healed itself, sealing up as if it were being zippered closed. A weak smile appeared on his face- another expression that Rukia had rarely seen.

"Hey Rukia. I guess I owe you an explanation."

* * *

I am honestly sorry for the delay in getting this chapter up. I haven't forgotten about this fic; I actually have written all the way up to chapter 7. I'm not going to give excuses for why it took so long to post this chapter. Instead, I'm giving a long author note full of extra information. (yay?)

I really wanted to include this information somewhere, but I couldn't figure out how to logically fit it into the story, and I didn't want the plot to be shoved aside until I squeezed in every last drop of information I want to include. So it's here. Feel free to skip it if you want. 

"Half-Bloods" are considered any individual with mixed Vampire blood. It doesn't necessarily a 50/50 split. Half-bloods are rare because usually the pregnancy ends in a miscarriage due to the baby developing incorrectly because of the Vampire energy. With Ichigo and Shiro (and Karin and Yuzu), they survived because the energy split itself between the twins. (All surviving Half-Bloods have a twin.) Although like stated before, it doesn't have to be an even split. So here is the breakdown of Vampire-ness in the Kurosaki family and how it affects them:

- Ichigo is pretty much exactly 50% Vampire - He would need to drink blood quite often, but avoids it by drinking synthetic blood daily.

- Shiro is around 66-75% - He needs to drink blood to live healthy (and stay sane), but could survive solely on regular food and synthetic blood for a short time if needed.

- Karin is hovering around 25% - Can live a perfectly normal human life without ever drinking blood. She will, occasionally, but prefers not to.

- And lastly, Yuzu is 25% (hardly any at all) - She's pretty much normal and has only tried drinking blood once before. She didn't like it.

Shiro has a soft spot for Yuzu, Ichigo is slightly closer to Karin.

The apartment where they live actually belongs to Shiro, He moved out a few years prior when his "outbursts" started endangering his sisters. Ichigo went with him to help keep him in check. But he travels a lot (usually between the various houses of their relatives) so Ichigo stays in the small house to manage it.

**The More You Know**

Anyway, thanks for everyone who has read and reviewed. I'm sorry I haven't been responding to reviews, I'll make a better effort to do so from now on. (I'm actually honestly surprised how many people are liking this story.)

So thanks to everyone who read/reviewed/favorited/followed!


	5. Chapter 5

The clearing was quiet as Ichigo and Rukia sat, simply looking at each other. His brown eyes anxiously searched hers as he waited for any sort of reaction to what he had just told her.

Finally, she spoke. "Ok, let me get this straight. You and your brother– who is apparently still alive even after you _snapped his neck– _are Vampires. While your father, and my own _brother_, are part of a secret organization of Vampire Hunters. _Really._ You expect me to believe that?"

He nodded with dead sincerity.

"This has got to be a joke."

"Rukia, do you really think I _could_ joke about something like this?"

"Prove it." She stated, eyes narrowed.

Ichigo sighed, he had hoped that Rukia would just take his word for it. Alas, that was too much to hope for. With another sigh, he closed his eyes and focused on drawing out that primal sense that lurks within the depths of his mind.

The girl in front of him watched expectantly; feeling somewhat entranced by it all, despite the terror slowly spreading through her.

His eyes opened, now golden.

Her own dark eyes widened in astonishment.

In response, he curled his top lip back.

Rukia started in mute fascination as the two pointed fangs replaced his canines

'_D-does he actually–?'_ It took a minute for her to find her voice. "Does that hurt?"

He shook his head.

"But_–_ but_–_" She stuttered. Her mind trying to deny the illogical situation she was witnessing.

A rustling was heard from the bushes around them, getting closer with each passing second. Ichigo froze, halfway expecting Byakuya to jump out and skewer him. Much to his surprise, Shiro forced his way into the clearing, breathing heavily.

"Rukia... she's got a protection charm on her! That's why her blood tasted all biter." He blurted out, not realizing that the girl in question was sitting there. "It all makes sense! Ichigo, Senbonzakura is_–_"

"Rukia's brother, I know." Ichigo stated plainly.

Confused, Shiro then looked to his left, seeing the dark-haired girl staring at him with fearful eyes. "Oh. Hi." He turned back to Ichigo, uncomfortable with her terror-filled gaze on him. "Have you explained anything to her?"

Ichigo shook his head. "Not much, I've been proving to her that I'm telling the truth."

"Ah. that explains the..." His voice trailed off as he motioned to Ichigo's unnatural eyes and pointed teeth.

"Yeah."

"You!" Rukia, who had been watching the brief conversation in stunned silence, stammered. She pointed a finger accusingly at the albino. "You really _are_ alive! But_–_ I saw_–_ He_–_ _You–_" She stopped flailing for words and just stared. Minutes passed. Finally, Rukia shook her head with a sigh. "Ok. Ok. I'll listen. I'll... I'll believe you. I just... need to think for a bit."

"It's ok." Ichigo says softly, halfway annoyed at his brother's appearance. the last time Rukia had seen Shiro was when he briefly lost control. Though Shiro's sudden appearance was enough evidence to convince her, Ichigo could tell that Rukia was not comfortable in the presence of his brother.

A heavy silence pressed down on all of them. Shiro stole a glance at Rukia before looking back to his brother, eyebrow raised. "Denying it seems kinda pointless now, don't you think? I mean, after everything she's seen." He muttered loud enough for the girl to hear.

"Shiro!" Ichigo scolded.

"I'm just saying..." he grumbled. "She looks a bit shaken to me."

"Really, I'm fine." She answered a little too quickly. "It's just... you guys are vampires. And... well truthfully, I'm not sure how to react to any of this."

Shiro sighed, he was tired and wanted to get back to his bed, but Ichigo's eyes were almost begging him to stay. Slightly annoyed, he raked a hand through his white hair with a sigh. "Well, you most likely have questions so I'll just give you a quick answers: Ichigo and I are really sixteen, and we have always been Half-Bloods. Yes we drink blood. No we cannot turn into bats. Any other questions?"

Rukia fell silent. "Just one."

"Don't you dare ask me if I sparkle." Shiro interrupted with a joking smirk.

Ichigo shot a glare at his brother, then turned his attention back to Rukia. "Yes?"

"Why did you never tell me?"

Ichigo was surprised to hear the hurt in her voice. "I-I'm sorry, Rukia. Please don't take it personally, it's just... I didn't want you to be scared of me. I mean, yeah I can live a pretty normal human life, but I'm not normal. To be fair, you're only the second person from school who actually knows what I am."

Rukia pondered his words for a moment, realizing that she didn't feel scared or threatened in any way by her friend. His brother however... "Who else?"

"Uryu Ishida." Ichigo says "He found me out pretty quickly, what with him being a Quincy and all."

Her head was spinning again. "Uryu? Quincy? Explanation please?"

"That's just what he calls himself. He's an independant bounty hunter. Wields a bow. He's ok. once he got over his 'kill-on-sight' mentality when it came to Shiro."

Said albino cringed at the memory of his first meeting with the archer.

"Ok, enough about Vampires," Rukia said, "what about the other people; the Hunters? What are they"

Ichigo took started the explanation this time, well aware of Shiro's tired annoyance. "Hunters fight Vampires to protect humans. They're there to stop vampires who cross the line and go too far." He spoke quietly and quickly, cold guilt seeping into him as he spoke.

"Do many Vampires go crazy? Does it happen often?" Rukia asked.

"No." He retorted. "And Hunters don't always kill the Vampires. They kinda act like supernatural policemen."

Rukia pretended she hadn't seen the way Shiro quickly looked away as she asked the question.

Shiro was the one to break the silence that had settled uncomfortably over the group. "Your brother is a Hunter. He'd probably give you some answers. He must really care about you a lot; going to such lengths to protect you." A smile spread slowly across his face. "He gave me quite a nasty scratch with that sword of his yesterday."

Rukia couldn't imagine her cold, emotionless brother going to such lengths to protect her. "Is that why you ran?" Rukia asked Ichigo, who nodded in response. She thought for a while longer. "I need to talk to him."

"Hey Rukia..." Rukia looked at Ichigo, his eyes fading to a deep brown again. "Thanks... for not freaking out." He really did mean it, an odd weight lifted from his shoulders. "We should probably get you back home. Byakuya hasn't come after us yet, but I don't want to push my luck."

Rukia nodded and the trio silently exited the forest.

The sun was down by the time they were walking home. Ichigo and Rukia walked side-by-side while Shiro lagged a few steps behind them. He bet that Rukia would feel more comfortable with him back a ways.

Besides, he could feel the beginnings of hunger stirring in him.

They were about halfway home when they passed by two guys smelling of alcohol. The shorter of the two men kicked at Shiro's ankle as he passed him while the taller one pushed into the teen's shoulder. Shiro stumbled and fell forward, catching himself quickly before he smashed into the sidewalk.

"Watch where you're goin', punk!" the short man snapped.

"Heh. Yeah, albino freak!" the other drunk guy slurred.

Ichigo froze in his tracks. Rukia stopped a few paces later, looking back at them.

Shiro slowly regained his balance, took a deep breath, and allowed a closed-mouth smile to grace his lips. He laughed quietly under his breath.

"What's so funny? Huh?" The short man snapped.

"Albino freak? _Really?_ Like I've never been called _that_ before."

"H-hey man. We don't want trouble." the tall man men stuttered, caught off guard by the reaction. He found a surprisingly strong arm pressed up against his throat as he was forced up against the brick wall of the building. It happened almost too quickly for his intoxicated mind to comprehend. However, the two gold eyes looking into his own cut straight through the fogginess in his head, making him shiver.

"Shiro don't." Ichigo snapped in warning. He knew that smile on his brother's face.

"Seriously, that the best you can do?" The albino leered with a grin, not at all paying attention to his brother. All he was concerned with was the wide-eyed man in front of him.

Almost too late, Ichigo jumped in front of Rukia. "Don't look."

The drunk man pinned to the wall gasped as fangs pierced the skin and hot blood ran down his neck. The area quickly grew numb. His eyes searched frantically for his friend, only to find that he had been abandoned. He feebly tried to push the person holding him down him away, but his already-fuzzy mind was growing slower and his vision started fading to black.

Ichigo watched with narrowed eyes, standing protectively in front of Rukia. He could practically feel her fear in the air. He grit his teeth, halfway wanting to tear Shiro away from the poor man; but he knew that would only make matters worse. It was never a good idea to get between a Vampire and their food.

Instead, he turned to Rukia, staring in wide-eyed terror at the scene in front of her. Ichigo cursed and moved to get closer to her. He suddenly was stopped by a sword pointed at his throat.

Byakuya stood behind his sister, a hand resting delicately on her shoulder.

Ichigo forced himself to stay still. _'Darn, when did he get here!?'_

He quickly stole a brief glance at his brother.

Shiro finally pulled himself away, sinking to his knees as the unconscious man slumped unceremoniously to the ground. Shiro's head was thrown back and his gold-on-black eyes stared blindly into the sky. Blood ran down his chin and onto his shirt.

A quick pang of pain blazed through Ichigo's heart and through his left arm as he watched. When he looked back, both Kuchikis were gone.

Shaking his head, he carefully made his way to his brother, hoping that he would listen now. "That was stupid, Shiro."

"Sorry." Shiro said finally, his voice warbled but otherwise void of emotion.

"It's ok." Ichigo said with an equally even tone.

"I couldn't stop myself."

Ichigo didn't respond as he walked over to the unconscious man, checking his weakened pulse.

"He shouldn't be dead. Let's go." Shiro slowly got to his feet, inspecting his blood-stained clothes with distaste. _'Tsk. Ruined. And this was my favorite shirt.'_

As the moon steadily rose higher, the brothers quietly made their way back to the apartment.

Ichigo's mind was preoccupied with Rukia. A sick feeling wove through his gut at the memory of Byakuya's furious eyes. _'What will happen now? After that, he's certainly not going to trust me or my brother. What if I never see her again? What if I–'_

"Are you going to open the door or not?"

His brother's annoyed voice snapped Ichigo out of his thoughts and he realized that he had froze halfway through putting the key in the lock. he turned the key and walked inside.

Ichigo knew that Shiro wasn't hungry, so he made himself some eggs and sat down on the couch.

"Shiro, what happened to you today?"

His eyes narrowed slightly as he busied himself with stacking the books on the coffee table. "Nothing. It's fine."

"You're such a terrible liar. Come on, you've seemed slightly on edge ever since your last meeting with the District Leader. I mean, I know he's been pressuring us to join a Clan, but that shouldn't bug you this much."

He sighed, leaning back into the couch, arms crossed. "My self-control has been slipping. I'm losing it."

"Shiro–"

"Just let me talk." He cut his brother off with a glare. "It's bearable for now... but..." He frowned, mixed emotions swirling in his eyes. "If I don't do something about it, it will kill me." He silently added _'Or the Hunters will...'_ Then mentally cringed at the idea.

"So you went and asked for help?" Ichigo's voice was quiet. They had always knew this could happen. All Half-Bloods ran the risk of becoming unstable. It was something they both tried not to think about; but actually hearing it from his brother made Ichigo's heart sink.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. I'm not done fighting yet." Shiro's tone was light. "You should get some sleep."

With reluctance, he went to his room to attempt to reorganize his thoughts.

In the darkness, he forced his tight muscles to relax. As he did so, he dropped his illusion of being normal: fangs extending and eyes turning the color of pale gold.

Shiro did this often, when he was alone at home. It was more of a challenge for him to hold back his fangs, or turn his eyes a believable color. Ichigo, on the other hand, usually leaned towards looking normal on most occasions, as it felt more natural for him.

He mentally worked through everything that happened that day, the things his brother had s. Eventually, his eyes grew heavy and he gave in to the peacefulness of sleep.

Ghosts of memories flitted through his sleeping mind until they pieced together a dream: He was standing in a park his family used to visit often when he was younger. Shiro stood in front of him, a dead chickadee in his cupped hands, eyes shining with pride.

"_Look what I caught! Isn't it great?"_

Ichigo turned and found himself in the rain, his mother's corpse in front of him. Screams tore their way from his throat as he held her close, glaring up at the faceless man leaning over him.

Blood pooled around him and filled his mouth.

Suddenly, his mother was no longer there, replaced by Rukia's small form. He bit into her soft neck, tasting the sickly sweet blood as it poured forth. He released her and bit in again and again, needing more.

He couldn't stop. It wasn't enough. _It would never be enough._

Her blank eyes silently begged him to stop, cold lips asking "why?"

Pain shot through his heart and down into his arm; this time flaring up in his jaw and left side of his face too. Dark purple fluid painfully traced the spiderweb of veins and arteries under his skin.

A stabbing pain like a sword ran through his gut.

With a sharp intake of breath, his eyes opened.

He lay there panting for a few minutes before his eyes slowly closed again and he was pulled into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

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